Auto accessories: how to make a magnetic windshield cover

No more standing in the freezing cold to scrape your windshield when you make a magnetic windshield cover for your car. It's easy with these instructions and materials.

Bad weather comes and goes, but year after year, we find ourselves going through the same routine: freezing while we scrape the ice and the snow and the sleet from our windshields. A magnetic windshield cover is just the thing for those frozen mornings when you don’t want to stand in the snow, shaking and shivering while you scrape the windshield. A piece of very thick plastic is just what you need, along with some magnetic strip. Measure the windshield, or tape together newspaper and cut to the shape of the glass. You can also cut the plastic to an approximate size, then tape it to the windshield and cut around it to make the pattern. It’s important to have a measurement that’s exact, since the magnetic strips will only adhere to the usually narrow strip of metal between the windshield and the side glass. Cut the shape into a piece of thick plastic. The color of the plastic isn’t important, but should be heavyweight.

Purchase magnetic sheeting, which usually comes on a roll, at a department store. Buy the type that has the peel-off sheet with an adhesive underneath, and cut into 1-1/2" strips, the length of the roll. Cut the strips to fit around the top, bottom, and both sides of the plastic and place them, adhesive side down, on the plastic. Don’t leave bare spots in between the strips, since doing so will allow moisture to enter through the gaps, particularly at the top of the windshield cover.

You can sew or glue a decorative cover onto the plastic, either on the top or bottom, but if you place it on top, of course, it will get wet. And, it’s not a good idea to fold the magnetic strips on the plastic, so sew or glue 2 loops onto the top of the plastic and let it drip-dry in the garage until its next use. The loops can be an old shoe string cut in two, but fold the loop and lay it on the plastic, then place the sticky magnetic sheet over the top of them to secure. You can either attach the decorative fabric to the plastic, and then place the magnetic strips, or place the magnetic strips, then cut fabric to just within the strips, and attach to the plastic.

Make a reversible cover to use in winter or to keep the heat out in the summer, by gluing or sewing the fabric to the plastic, wrong sides together. Turn it plastic side up in the winter, fabric side up in the summer. The cloth should be extremely lightweight or the magnetic strips may not hold. The material should also be a very light color, or something reflective, to deter the sunlight.

When ready to drive in the summer, remove the cover, then roll loosely - do not fold - and store in trunk or backseat.

It’s not much extra trouble to make a back glass cover, in the same manner. You can make one for each passenger window, too. Or, for 4-door cars, make one for the windshield, one for the back glass, and a long one for each 2 windows on the sides.

Make a similar cover for the inside of the car windows, to keep sun out of baby’s eyes, by surrounding the window with Velcro, then cutting the plastic and gluing the Velcro strips onto the plastic window cover.